Gordon won’t be a sore loser

HEARTS were told to take their medicine by Alloa boss Peter Grant — and Craig Gordon insists they will. But it doesn’t mean they have to enjoy the taste. The Scotland goalkeeper cut a frustrated figure after the extra-time penalty which eliminated Hearts. However, despite arguing furiously with referee Gavin Duncan over the award of the spot-kick, and insisting the plastic pitch is always a leveller, he was self-aware enough to know that any finger-pointing for such a poor defeat has to start in their own dressing room. ‘I tried to speak to the ref after the game,’ he said. ‘I just asked what the foul was for but he refused to speak to me. ‘For me, Jamie (Walker) was just running back beside him, the ball was bouncing awkwardly and the guy fell over trying to get his shot in. ‘If there was any contact, then their player has actually kicked Jamie. ‘But you have to look at the game as a whole and the bottom line is we didn’t score. ‘We had plenty of chances to win it and we didn’t, so I don’t want to point fingers at the referee for us losing a game 1-0 when we had it in our own hands. ‘They’re a hard side to break down, especially here. The Astroturf is a leveller. You have to fight for every ball, it doesn’t move the same way it does on grass. Having said that, it’s still a game we can win. You just have to adapt your game slightly.’ The upside for Hearts will now be a free midweek ahead of their Scottish Cup final with Celtic, while the Betfred Cup quarters are played without them. ‘I don’t see that as a positive at all,’ sighed Gordon. ‘We want to be in the cup competitions, so that’s no comfort whatsoever.’